As An Atheist Can Your Life Have Purpose and Meaning? - Atheist Nexus2017-09-26T20:19:27Zhttp://atheistnexus.org/forum/topics/as-an-atheist-can-your-life-have-purpose-and-meaning?commentId=2182797%3AComment%3A2102395&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThat sounds wonderful to me s…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-04:2182797:Comment:26191632015-07-04T02:37:27.844ZSteph S.http://atheistnexus.org/profile/StephS
<p>That sounds wonderful to me sk8eycat</p>
<p>That sounds wonderful to me sk8eycat</p> I should have said that I was…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-03:2182797:Comment:26189252015-07-03T17:00:26.718Zsk8eycathttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ElaineHampton
<p>I should have said that I wasn't driven to entertain anyone but myself. The audience didn't matter much, except that it was flattering to get a paycheck, skimpy as it was. It was entirely for myself; when the music started I HAD to dance or skate. Traveling the US and Mexico was an extra treat.</p>
<p>I should have said that I wasn't driven to entertain anyone but myself. The audience didn't matter much, except that it was flattering to get a paycheck, skimpy as it was. It was entirely for myself; when the music started I HAD to dance or skate. Traveling the US and Mexico was an extra treat.</p> I have that book by Dan Barke…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-03:2182797:Comment:26187412015-07-03T14:01:23.834ZSteph S.http://atheistnexus.org/profile/StephS
<p>I have that book by Dan Barker - I am glad he wrote it.</p>
<div class="a-section a-spacing-none"><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title"><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">Paperback</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">– January 25, 2011…</span></h1>
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<p>I have that book by Dan Barker - I am glad he wrote it.</p>
<div class="a-section a-spacing-none"><h1 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">Paperback</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">– January 25, 2011</span></h1>
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<div id="byline" class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature">by <span class="author notFaded"><span class="a-declarative"><a rel="nofollow" class="a-link-normal contributorNameID" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Barker/e/B001KIS5DU/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">Dan Barker</a></span> <span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">(Author),</span></span></span> <span class="author notFaded"><a rel="nofollow" class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_2?ie=UTF8&amp;field-author=Julia+Sweeney&amp;search-alias=books&amp;text=Julia+Sweeney&amp;sort=relevancerank">Julia Sweeney</a> <span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">(Foreword)</span></span></span></div>
<p></p> The Good Atheist: Living a Pu…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-02:2182797:Comment:26169012015-07-02T03:24:06.847Zsk8eycathttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ElaineHampton
<div class="feature" id="booksTitle"><div class="a-section a-spacing-none"><h1 class="a-size-large a-spacing-none" id="title"><span class="a-size-large" id="productTitle">The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">Paperback</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">– January 25, 2011</span></h1>
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<div class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature" id="byline">by…</div>
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<div id="booksTitle" class="feature"><div class="a-section a-spacing-none"><h1 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><span id="productTitle" class="a-size-large">The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">Paperback</span> <span class="a-size-medium a-color-secondary a-text-normal">– January 25, 2011</span></h1>
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<div id="byline" class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature">by <span class="author notFaded"><span class="a-declarative"><a class="a-link-normal contributorNameID" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dan-Barker/e/B001KIS5DU/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">Dan Barker</a></span> <span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">(Author),</span></span></span> <span class="author notFaded"><a class="a-link-normal" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_2?ie=UTF8&amp;field-author=Julia+Sweeney&amp;search-alias=books&amp;text=Julia+Sweeney&amp;sort=relevancerank">Julia Sweeney</a> <span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">(Foreword)</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature"><span class="author notFaded"><span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">Dan's rebuttal to Fat-Boy Rick Warren. Most of the book is short bios of non-believers who did NOT make an imaginary being the center of their lives, and succeeded wildly. (Can you say "Mozart" or "Carl Sagan," boys &amp; girls?)</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature"><span class="author notFaded"><span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary">I always knew I wanted to entertain people, but not as a soloist....so I did. The pay was pitiful, but the life was wonderful.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="a-section a-spacing-micro bylineHidden feature"><span class="author notFaded"><span class="contribution"><span class="a-color-secondary"><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/f*E8U3rGFXrMOajK285M8GnySbr26o88FHj4CCgG4RNY6K4PJjz3q0ZDeX8CBk8M4NSmPyapzylikLcu3eaXBVEynq3yR2q6/LaughingRussians.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/f*E8U3rGFXrMOajK285M8GnySbr26o88FHj4CCgG4RNY6K4PJjz3q0ZDeX8CBk8M4NSmPyapzylikLcu3eaXBVEynq3yR2q6/LaughingRussians.jpg" width="712"/></a></span></span></span></div>
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</div> Yes, they were friends after…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-02:2182797:Comment:26169532015-07-02T01:24:35.377ZBertold Brautiganhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/BertoldBrautigan
<p>Yes, they were friends after Wilde's sending Pater some of his work resulted in a bit of a mutual admiration society. You're right, "untidy" is a somewhat euphemistic epithet for Oscar's life.</p>
<p>Yes, they were friends after Wilde's sending Pater some of his work resulted in a bit of a mutual admiration society. You're right, "untidy" is a somewhat euphemistic epithet for Oscar's life.</p> I've forgotten, but I believe…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-01:2182797:Comment:26169502015-07-01T23:53:22.821ZDr. Allan H. Clarkhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/DrAllanHClark
<p>I've forgotten, but I believe Wilde, as a student at Oxford, actually knew Pater. Is that in Ellman?</p>
<p>T. S. Eliot, with Wilde in mind and sounding a bit like somebody's maiden aunt, said of Pater's Renaissance:</p>
<blockquote><p>His view of art, as expressed in THE RENAISSANCE, impressed itself upon a number of writers in the 'nineties, and propagated some confusion between life and art which is not wholly irresponsible for some untidy lives.</p>
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<p>"Untidy" hardly…</p>
<p>I've forgotten, but I believe Wilde, as a student at Oxford, actually knew Pater. Is that in Ellman?</p>
<p>T. S. Eliot, with Wilde in mind and sounding a bit like somebody's maiden aunt, said of Pater's Renaissance:</p>
<blockquote><p>His view of art, as expressed in THE RENAISSANCE, impressed itself upon a number of writers in the 'nineties, and propagated some confusion between life and art which is not wholly irresponsible for some untidy lives.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>"Untidy" hardly begins to describe Wilde's life—what an odd choice of words.</p>
<blockquote><p></p>
</blockquote> He definitely inspired Wilde.…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-01:2182797:Comment:26168942015-07-01T22:42:52.449ZBertold Brautiganhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/BertoldBrautigan
<p>He definitely inspired Wilde. He's one of the larger entries in the index of Ellman's biography. Oscar to some extent saw his mission as carrying on Pater's message.</p>
<p>He definitely inspired Wilde. He's one of the larger entries in the index of Ellman's biography. Oscar to some extent saw his mission as carrying on Pater's message.</p> So many adults do not know ho…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-01:2182797:Comment:26165612015-07-01T01:55:46.234ZJoan Denoohttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/JoanDenoo
<p>So many adults do not know how to think critically. That is the first and beginning thing I taught in life skills training, whether it was boys at the boys' ranches, inmates in prison, parents in parent training classes, or my freshman college students. It is not difficult to teach. Sadly parents who do not know how to think critically cannot teach their children how to reason. Some teachers don't know either.</p>
<p>The worst students were those who had learned that obedience was a high…</p>
<p>So many adults do not know how to think critically. That is the first and beginning thing I taught in life skills training, whether it was boys at the boys' ranches, inmates in prison, parents in parent training classes, or my freshman college students. It is not difficult to teach. Sadly parents who do not know how to think critically cannot teach their children how to reason. Some teachers don't know either.</p>
<p>The worst students were those who had learned that obedience was a high value. Following instructions, seeking authorities, looking outside themselves presented barriers to independent thought. </p>
<p>The best students seeking critical thinking were the science-oriented ones. They developed habits of paying attention to what occurred, they looked for patterns, and they made connections in their observations. </p> Mike, I agree 100%tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-07-01:2182797:Comment:26165592015-07-01T01:39:09.095ZJoan Denoohttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/JoanDenoo
<p>Mike, I agree 100%</p>
<p>Mike, I agree 100%</p> Thanks Dr. Clark.
&gt; If the…tag:atheistnexus.org,2015-06-30:2182797:Comment:26165072015-06-30T22:26:04.867ZBertold Brautiganhttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/BertoldBrautigan
<p>Thanks Dr. Clark.</p>
<blockquote><p>&gt;<span> If there is any evolution on the intellectual level, it comes from individuals developing themselves to their peak.</span></p>
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<p>A very Nietzschean idea. He said somewhere that the entire purpose of a culture is the development of a few exceptional individuals.</p>
<p>Thanks Dr. Clark.</p>
<blockquote><p>&gt;<span> If there is any evolution on the intellectual level, it comes from individuals developing themselves to their peak.</span></p>
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<p>A very Nietzschean idea. He said somewhere that the entire purpose of a culture is the development of a few exceptional individuals.</p>